A Merseyside Police investigation led by the force’s Matrix Serious Organised Crime unit, supported by Liverpool CID and neighbourhood patrols, has been launched and extensive enquiries are being carried out to find out what happened.

Patrols have been stepped up around Everton , with detectives carrying out house to house inquiries.

Merseyside Police attended the scene after reports of several loud bangs, and officers gave the man first aid before paramedics arrived.

The force are appealing for witnesses, while a post mortem examination will take place today to establish a cause of death.

Although a motive for the shooting is not clear at this early stage of the investigation, detectives are treating it as a targeted attack.